80s Music Revisited: Public Enemy - Black Power Icons

80s Music Revisited: Public Enemy - Black Power Icons: Public Enemy were a politically conscious band that relied heavily or controversially on the icon of the Black Power struggle. However, ther...

Public Enemy - Black Power Icons

Public Enemy were a politically conscious band that relied heavily or controversially on the icon of the Black Power struggle. However, there was more to this band than just annoying the Police and Authorities, they helped radicalise Hip Hop and taking into the Rock Market.

The band were made up of Chuck D, Watch loving Flavor Flav, Professor Griff, Terminator X and the Bomb Squad. The hip-hop and rock crossover reached a peak in 1991 when the long islanders teamed up with thrash metal band Anthrax or a reworking of the 1987 single Bring the Noise. Previously the group had introduced samples from metal bands such as Slayer particularly on the She watch Channel Zero on there breakthrough album Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.

Public enemy were at there best when Terminator and Bomb were manning the decks and Chuck D and Flavor Flav acting out the lyrics in there own style. They did get off to a slow start when Yo! Bum rush the Show didn't hit off but when the next album Takes a Nation of Millions to hold us back that they hit the ground running. The album was a mixture of furious, changing beats, siren calls and rock guitar sampling and topped of with Chuck D anger and Flavor Flav minimal interjections, the album was a milestone in the hip-hop genre.

This peaked with the singles Rebel without a pause and Fight the power which had a pop at American icons Elvis Presley and John Wayne set on a James Brown Groove. Whatever you think this sealed the bands reputation as hip hops most explosive act.

A chance to See Public Enemy, click on the song. Enjoy

Bring the Noise

Rebel without a Pause

Fight the Power

80s Music Revisited: Metallica - speed and sophistication

80s Music Revisited: Metallica - speed and sophistication: During the 1980s a band emerged from after the furious Punk revolution from the San Francisco underground. Metallica had brought a new tough...

Metallica - speed and sophistication

During the 1980s a band emerged from after the furious Punk revolution from the San Francisco underground. Metallica had brought a new toughness and radicalism to metal with a much faster and heavier sound which was to be defined as thrash metal which boomed in the mid eighties.

Although the band formed in Los Angeles in 1981, the band had moved to San Francisco and by 1983 they became the prime movers in the Bay Area Thrash Scene along with Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax. There immediate inspiration as per the advert placed by drummer Lars Ulrich was NWOBHM. that said there was an element of LA that rubbed of in there 1983 debut offering Kill 'em All which sounded much more powerful than the British contribution made during that period.

As the band progressed Guitarist Dave Mustaine was sacked (he then went on to former rival band Megadeth) His replacement Kirk Hammett continued in the same style as Dave. Also critical to the sound was Bassist Cliff Burton who's sound complemented the early roar of lead singer James Hetfield's voice.

The appeal of Metallica was they were not the bubble permed hair metal act that were on the screens at the time. Elektra records signed the band in 1984 and gave them the space to develop. That patience paid off when the critically acclaimed album Master of Puppets which spent over a year in the US charts despite the inclusion of some intricate and lengthy instrumentals.

However, tragedy struck when the bands tour bus overturned in Sweden in 1986 and killed Cliff Burton. The band continued manfully in his honour and there progressive style went globally with 1988 release And Justice for All.

During the 1980s the band released 4 studio albums with Master of Puppets just falling outside the top 40 and Justice for all reaching number 4 in the UK album charts in 1988. In terms of singles they only released seven with 3 songs hitting the top 30 with 'one' attaining the highest position of 13 in the UK single charts.

The success of the 1980s saw them reach crowning success with the Black album in 1991 which boasted the Metallica Anthem Enter Sandman. Success has followed the band and all the band started from humble beginnings in the 1980s as we enter 3 decades later the band can still boast massive sales and tours that are sell outs. They care about the music not the image and for that the appeal will always carry on.


For further listening

Madchester Revivalist

Madchester Revivalist

I recently spent an evening at Manchester Midi School to do a DJ course as I was thinking of getting back into it as the last time I did it seriously was in the late 80's ( apart from a set at a wedding in France in 2003!!)

It has all changed as it is digital for a start but the 2 hour experience whetted my appetite and has given me a drive to get back on the road. Now as with anything times change and music moves on but that doesnt mean everyone has to. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing and can provoke feelings and nothing I feel better than music.

For me the whole Madchester experience was a wonderful time. Lots of parties and raves at weekends, baggy clothing, listening to bands and not manufactured groups. Sure it wasn't all rosy mostly hazy, there was a lot of being skint as clothes and music went hand in hand so I decided that if I was to DJ then this type of genre is what I would play. You had the wonderful bands of Joy Division, The smiths, New order, Happy Monday and Stone Roses fusing with the acid tunes such as 808 state. The feedback I get is looking good so I am now looking for equipment and looking forward to blasting those tunes out in environment it deserves.

For those who need a reminder I recommend a few CDs to remember and for those too young you are never too young. This was a revolution of music at the time when the charts was getting to same state as now with moguls such as stock, aitken and waterman ruling the waves with the safe bubblegum pop of jason and kylie.

I recommend this CD's and I hope you enjoy. Sorted!!

Unbelievable Volume 1 Click here - features the roses and Mondays
Unbelievable Volume 2 Click here - features The Smiths , New Order and Charlatans
Sorted Click here - again features the top bands and also The Farm, prefab sprout, James
Hacienda Classics Click here - features amongst others the legendary Joy division

80s Music Revisited: Metal Mania: Guns N'Roses - America response

80s Music Revisited: Metal Mania: Guns N'Roses - America response: Guns N' Roses had great success in the 1980's and living up to the traditional guitar wielding rock band with a bad boy attitude and enjoyin...

Metal Mania: Guns N'Roses - America response

Guns N' Roses had great success in the 1980's and living up to the traditional guitar wielding rock band with a bad boy attitude and enjoying the excesses of life has to offer.

Guns N'Roses consisting of Axl Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Steve Adler had emerged from the nightclub scene in Hollywood by performing in esteemed clubs such as Troubadour and The Roxy. They belted out old Aerosmith material dressed in the traditional leather. The band were not particularly going anywhere and were being compared as the American answer to British Goth-Metal band The Cult.

The 1980s still had a gap in the market for rock 'n' roll that was neither hardcore and fancy perms, the bands record label boss David Geffen took matters into his own hand. He tirelessly campaigned MTV to play Guns N' Roses and soon he enlisted there help when Welcome to the Jungle promo video allerted the attention of the serious rock fan and the song hit the top 10 in the USA. This was the major breakthrough the band had needed. This was followed up by love song 'Sweet child o mine' the song appealed to all genders and the video began to get heavy airplay on the Radio and MTV.

It became clear that this was going to be a band that no-one would forget and the aptly named album release of Appetite for Destruction hit number one. More joy was to follow when Paradise city was released and also hit the top spot. A world tour followed and soon they were the hottest ticket in town for the show these guys would put on. However, Destruction was the key word. The band suffered negative press following deaths at there concerts, heavy use of drugs and alcohol coupled with internal band fighting and the protracted legal issues which prevented the follow up album being released. By then the world had moved on and music changed but the bands image suffered with tantrums, walkouts and the eventual exit of key members such as Slash effectively ended the band.

There influence and music is still proving resilient and if you can ignore the devil in the band they did make fantastic music.
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80s Music Revisited: Metal Mania: Steel City NWOBHM

80s Music Revisited: Metal Mania: Steel City NWOBHM: These boys from Sheffield were instrumental in shaping the sound of 1980s metal by fusing their melodic, twin guitar attack with stadium roc...

Metal Mania: Steel City NWOBHM

These boys from Sheffield were instrumental in shaping the sound of 1980s metal by fusing their melodic, twin guitar attack with stadium rock choruses.

The band formed in 1977 and consisted of Joe Elliott, Steve Clark, Phil Collen, Rick Savage and Rick Allen. A statement of intent was made on there 1980 debut album which featured a track ' Hello America' the fantasy was to conquer America with there music.

When 1983 album 'Pyromania' was released in America it earned them a career defining multi million selling album, the fantasy was only beginning.

Def Leppard were prime movers in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) and there global ambition was fulfilled when they recruited producer and co-writer Mutt Lange for 1981s High 'n' Dry. There style was a very pop friendly with a tinge of hard rock to keep everyone happy.

The first single from Pyromania was 'Photograph' became an MTV essential viewing and as a result a huge US hit. The defs appearance in America coincided with the infancy stages of MTV and this help catapult them across America. However, all was not rosy. They had a falling out with Mutt Lange and his replacement producer the legendary Jim Steinman also suffered the same fate. If this was not enough then a major tragedy occurred when drummer Rick Allen lost an arm in a car accident. The fantasy was now becoming a nightmare.

Following these issues, the band rallied and Mutt Lange returned to bring order and Rick Allen re learnt how to play his electronic drum kit using his feet. Work was the order and a new follow up album to Pyromania began and 18 months of work was binned as all concerned felt it was not good enough. The band persevered and in 1987 Hysteria was released and topped both sides of the pond and going to eclipse the sales figure of Pyromania and Hysteria had yielded 7 hit singles. The 1980s started well, dipped in the middle but by the end of the 1980s they had painstakingly produced one of the most composed piece of Pop Metal.

During the 1980s the boys released four studio albums debuting with 'on through the night' which reached number 15, the follow up 'high 'n' dry' fared less at 26. Pyromania released in 1983 peaked at number 18 although it hit number 2 in America. The next album hit number one both sides as 'Hysteria' took the charts by storm.

They released 20 singles during the 1980s They didn't get there first top 10 in the UK until 1987 with 'animal'  which hit number 6. In America they had enjoyed 4 top 10 hits with 2 number ones in 1983 with 'photograph' and 'rock of ages'. The UK seemed more elusive in terms of top tens and a release in 1988 with 'love bites' was the next best peaking at number 11.
To enjoy more Def Leppard

80s Music Revisited: Metal Mania

80s Music Revisited: Metal Mania: The 1970s saw heavy metal dominated by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. The 1980s saw the genre explode and flouris...

Metal Mania

The early 1970s saw heavy metal explode and become dominated by the likes of British acts Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath.

The 1980s saw the genre explode and flourish whilst drawing a wide range of influences. Out went the bluesy sound and in came a more dynamic guitar and bass sound tinged with Punk and showmanship that would make the Glam rockers shake in there 10 inch heels. As the decade progressed many different types of genres increased as Metal became more mainstream to the public, it was no longer a kept secret.

The catalyst for the change in Metals fortunes was the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) which emerged along side punk in the late 1970s. Leading the charge were Northern English bands such as Iron Maiden, Saxon and Def Leppard. They fed of the punk energy with a more grittier guitar sound and these bands caught the attention of the media and the public alike.

Another leading beacon was AC/DC whose high octane sound fed soundly into the early 1980s metal but the leader of the headbanging group was Lemmy who fronted the speed driven group Motorhead. Lemmy thunderous bass playing inspired Metals approach to 'How low can you go' in reverence to the deep frequencies. Guitar and bass were to plat an important part in Metal along with the banging of the drums.

At the other end of the chime was Eddie Van Halen distinctive tapping guitar sound which encouraged the infamous Air Guitar generation, Showmanship at its finest. Also David Coverdale who inspired a Whitesnake revival with there ballad fused metal and the sassy video promo to go with it. The image of metal singers covered by scantily clad girls was the norm.

As post punk faded, Metal took over and made an assault on all fronts. Def Leppard crossed the pond and took the MTV route to ultimate success and Metallica spearheaded the more speed or thrash metal depending on who you talk to. Also Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth played there part in defining the speedster section.

Ultimately any genre is determined by continued success in the mainstream. The guys that emerged on top of the pile were Bon Jovi, Guns N'Roses and Metallica that established themselves as the premier rock forces of the 1980s. Also from a British perspective Def Leppard and Iron Maiden enjoyed success in terms of records sold and sell out concerts and festivals.

Metal has continued it's success well into the 21st Century and although the old guard played there part, the next generation have continued the work and proof is the metal concerts and festivals that exist along with the plethora of groups that now exist.


Heavy Metal classics